Nymphet
by Eophan
Summary: Maka demands extra training on her own from Stein, but she develops some rather confusing feelings for the teacher, which he is all too aware of.
1. Prologue to Madness

"Professor Stein, I want extra lessons."

Stein blinked slowly at the light noise, the words spoken were practically slurred together; his little student spoke so quickly when she was nervous. He shifted his attention from the papers he was grading to the youth standing to the side of his desk. Maka had kept a good distance, obviously nervous, but she was as polite as ever; hands clasped behind her back, posture perfect. She wore a serious expression though, making it obvious that she thought the matter very important.

"Come again?" Stein muttered, turning his attention back to the papers.

Maka cleared her throat, and repeated herself. "I've thought a lot about this, and I-" Maka faltered, and Stein watched from his peripheral vision as she searched for words. Her posture broke, and one gloved hand rose of it's own accord to absently twirl a pig-tail as she thought.

"Hmm?" Stein hummed as he marked an F on Black Stars drawing of himself flying that was supposedly his essay, and set to work on the next paper.

"I'd like to request for extra training. Without a weapon," Maka repeated, crystal clear.

"Are you and Soul having trouble getting along again?"

Maka looked completely taken aback. "No no, nothing like that!" She said a little too loudly. She sighed then, and continued quietly, "It's just... Everyone else can do so much, even without their weapons, but if I even drop Soul then I'm left completely defenseless." Maka mostly regained her posture, and took a breath before continuing. "Especially considering Asura's recent revival, I think it would be in my best interest to have some knowledge of how to fight on my own. You're the best meister I've ever seen, and you brutalized us without a weapon when we met, so I thought asking you would be my best option."

Stein noted that Maka was obviously familiar with the concept that flattery would get one _everywhere_, but besides that, Maka gave him a lot to consider. Stein began twisting the bolt in his head in favor of answering. Maka continued trying to reason with him, regardless.

"You see, I always need help, so I guess I'm asking if you can help me now, so that way I won't need help later," Maka noticed her hand near her head and let it fall, only to pick at her sweater.

"You sound just how you did when Crona gave Soul that wound."

Maka flinched. "This is different. I want to be able to do..._Something _on my own. I don't want to be dead-weight."

"...I need to think about it. There's a lot going on right now, but..." Stein hesitated, and turned to look at Maka properly.

It had only been a relatively short time since Asura had been revived, and the madness quickly spread like a plague. The natural disasters around the world had already drifted beyond an average number, along with the growing number of witches and aspiring-kishin.

Finally, amidst the chaos of the world, sat Stein, whose mentality was already in a perpetually fragile state. Visions of the witch Medusa frequented him, and his thoughts were beginning to teeter towards his more naturally sadistic nature. For him to be even in a classroom in the first place was questionable, but to be alone with a student after-hours on a regular basis was really pushing it.

"You're already at the top of the class, you know. It isn't very fair for the other students. On top of that, I'd have to ask Lord Death, and he may just figure the same."

Stein could almost see the gears in Maka's head whirring in search for another good reason for him to accept. There was no way she was going to let this drop.

'Damn it, if she just wasn't so stubborn,' Stein thought with chagrin. He forced his lips to twitch into a small grin, and softened his eyes. A practiced gesture that he'd had to use on Maka more times than he'd really care to count. "I, on the other hand, wouldn't mind. I think I could pull a string or two," Stein said with as much kindness he could muster.

That did the trick. "Thank you Professor! Thank you so much!" Maka glowed, babbling out more words of thanks before Stein stopped her and told her to get to her next class. She bounded out, obviously convinced that if her favorite teacher said he was going to try, then without a doubt, he could make it happen.

He had no intention of actually training her, though. It was simply too dangerous. The only reason he wouldn't tell her now is because word would get out fast, and he'd have no choice but to leave the Academy. Everyone would figure that if he couldn't handle one student, how could he handle an entire class? Then he'd just be wasting time sitting at home, waiting for the madness to take him. Frankly, Stein wasn't ready to lose himself quite yet, and the longer he could try and teach, the better.

Stein leaned back and sparked up a cigarette, looking at the empty classroom in front of him, gauging how he could handle the extra work. It wouldn't be too hard to make time for it; the research that used to occupy his time had, unfortunately, been set aside for now, and he'd trekked to the outskirts of Death City to the desert for physical training numerous times himself. All he'd have to do is take Maka with him, and other locations would follow as needed.

But could he really handle that? Being absorbed in fighting was a wonderful yet precarious thing, and he'd be fighting with Maka a _lot._ Touching her during a fight just once made it so very tempting to cut that perfect, smooth skin in so many ways. Skin like that had a great quantity of uses, due to its pliable nature and-

Stein grabbed his bolt and idly twisted it. It was quite the daily task to not think of his students in the scientific sense, and he couldn't afford to think like that right now. He'll ask Lord Death just to cover his bases, (he _could_ just lie and say the request was denied, but leave it to Maka to try and convince Death himself to allow it,) Death will say no, and that will be the end of it. Done, end of story, no lies, no harm done.

,.,.,

It was growing dark outside by the time school hours were over, the coming Fall season bringing on nighttime quickly in the desert region of Nevada. The days were blazing, and the nights were deathly frozen, but the short window of time between the two was always lovely. Of course, it mattered little in the always bright and sunny chamber of Death himself. Professor Stein walked slowly through the guillotine hallway, idly observing the clouds spotting the dome of the ceiling, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. The task at hand wasn't one he was looking forward to, but it had to be done.

"Hey Lord Death," Stein called out casually.

The towering, black-robed figure of Death bounced in excitement in return. "Steeeein! Good to see ya! What's up? What's on your mind?"

Stein steeled himself, and got right to the point, silently begging for a rejection. "Ms. Albarn wants lone-combat training, without the use of a weapon. I'm not too keen on the idea, but she seems determined. I'd like your input."

_Say no, say no-_

"Now Stein, you know you don't need to ask my permission for such things," Death chided, cocking his head. "You should be thrilled a student is showing such initiative."

_Damn it!_

"Maka is already the top of the class though. I'm not sure if I should be giving her extra attention when others are failing," Stein repeated from earlier, somewhat desperately.

"Hmm, that's a very good point. However, I'm sure you've noticed that Maka's soul is developing in a most interesting way,"

Stein perked slightly as this, and wasted no time in elaborating. "Yeah, the start of a Grigorian soul. Only one in fifty million people possess it. It's an angels soul that will eventually give Maka the ability to fly, in one way or another."

"Precisely, you're as observant as ever. Not much is known about them, due to their rarity. Why, I haven't seen a meister with a soul like that in quite a long time, you wouldn't believe how many otherwise normal humans acquire such a soul and never even know it. It's very frustrating, in a way. Ah, but who knows what kind of powers Maka could find, especially if she were to gain the ability to battle on her own!"

Stein smirked, reflecting on Death's words silently. '_I see. Lord Death is saying that we should use all of our resources to their fullest extent. It's a cruel thing to say about children, but it is the nature of the Academy, I suppose_.'

"I can't help but be a bit curious," Death began suddenly, "you've noticed Maka's soul, and you are obviously aware of how rare it is, why aren't you a little bit more interested? I can't understand why you would pass up a chance to get a closer look."

Stein's smirk grew. 'Heh, he sees right through me, as always.'

"I'm concerned for her safety. It's been such a short time... But-"

"No need to elaborate. Along with some other things, I've already taken preventative measure to ensure that you'll be able to safely teach for a while yet."

Stein didn't see that one coming, and his face dropped. "Eh?"

"Well, what with Asura on the loose and all, of course I would call for some back-up! I was actually going to inform you of this tomorrow when they arrived, but since I brought it up I guess I may as well tell you now!"

Stein nodded.

"We've called in as many Death-Scythes as possible from the other branches of the Academy, the greatest weapons in the world will be here tomorrow."

"Oh. That changes things, that's wonderful. How many?"

"Three," he chirped.

"...Oh."

"Marie Mjolnir is amongst them, and you're aware of her anti-madness nature. I'm assigning her as your new partner, and Spirit will be tasked with staying near and ready to fight as much as possible. I'll have you meet with the three of them tomorrow. Exciting isn't it? Things are moving forward!"

Ah yes, Marie. He remembered her well. With Marie around, this may even work out smoothly.

"So, you'll be telling Maka that you'll accept her request then?" Death questioned.

Stein sighed, accepting defeat. "I guess so."

"Great! Wonderful! I'm sure I don't need to remind you, of all people, but make sure to keep a close eye on how her soul is developing. Who knows? We may even have a soul with an anti-demon wavelength, and wouldn't that be something?"

"...Yes, yes it would be something, I understand. Thanks for your time, Lord Death."

"Anytime, later Stein," Death hummed, seemingly pleased with the turn-out of things.

Stein, on the other-hand, was still feeling conflicted. But over the years, he'd learned to embrace the uncomfortable truths of the world. Maybe he was just being paranoid.

Maybe.

,.,.,

Maka was absolutely livid with the information the following day. Stein had called her aside after class, and told her simply that, as promised, strings had been pulled, and Death was more than happy to allow the training. Maka bounced on her heels and clenched her fists in front of her, momentarily forgetting her practiced posture once again. Her eyes were alight with excitement, and seemed to drift elsewhere as her mind raced with flashes of taking down hordes of enemies with her body alone.

"It'll be hard. You're going to end up hating me," Stein warned sternly, effectively snapping Maka out of her ruminations.

"No way, I've seen what you're really like, you can't scare me," Maka teased, a girlish grin playing on her features.

Stein raised his hand to twist his bolt, continuing his warnings as he did so. He often forgot just how young she was sometimes. So very naive. It was very cute.

"And you better not get bored halfway through,"

"Hey! I'm not Soul you know!" Maka pouted.

"I know, just saying,"

"Oh come on, with a Professor like you? How could I be bored?"

Stein's bolt clicked in place. "...I'll take that as a compliment."

Maka giggled in response, and looked up at Stein in appreciation.

Stein and Maka certainly had come a long way since their meeting at his humble home a year ago, and now their relationship was based on what every teacher wanted out of an ideal student: An eager, thirst for knowledge, as well as the trust and respect that made the teaching process so much easier. To Maka, Stein's every word was law, and she never questioned anything, no matter how questionable. It made him sound like a wonderful teacher, but he just couldn't be sure, especially with the growing madness.

"Professor, you have nothing to worry about. I'll work harder than I ever have for this, you have my promise," Maka said evenly, her barely contained excitement still showing behind her wide eyes.

Stein gave his usual false-smile in return. "I'm sure you will," he reached out to pat the short girls head, then dismissed her after informing her when her first lesson would be. Maka nodded, eyes becoming alight once more with the prospect of strength, and turned to leave.

Stein couldn't help but be slightly endeared. Maka was brave, and very familiar with insanity at this point. Though she was initially repulsed by Stein, Maka reacted well to the small instances of madness he displayed openly on a daily basis, on top of the insanity in the world around them that everyone was subject to. It wasn't necessary, Stein barely knew anything besides the fear, but the change in the attitude he was so used to seeing in those around him was... Well, it certainly was different.

However, Stein had to wonder; when he would inevitably lose himself, how would Maka react to him then?

"Heh, it could be an interesting...Experiment, though," Stein mused quietly as he watched Maka happily skip out of the classroom.

* * *

**A/N**

Short chapter is short, but now that the intro is out of the way and everything is setup, we can move on to the fun part.

There's a good nine chapters of this story planned out so far, including this one, but let me tell you: This thing is long. And it gets dark. And smutty. Proceed at your own risk. This is going to be based on the manga plot, but I'll make sure to keep everyone in the loop, so no one gets left out.

I'd _love _some input on this. What's some stuff you guys are looking for? Tell me what sucks about this chapter, what you liked, all that fun stuff. I may even write faster if I have some of your lovely reviews to propel me forward.

Until next time~


	2. Maka

Edit: This chapter has been fixed for style and grammar. If I missed anything, don't hesitate to tell me.

* * *

Maka couldn't quite place why, but she was excited today.

It was still early in the morning, Soul was half-asleep in his desk next to her, but she was wide-awake and jittery. Maka would be training after school, like most days, but today was just _different_ somehow. In fact, she was feeling great for a change. Any challenge Professor Stein threw at her, she could take head-on and exceed expectations, as expected. No challenge would go unbeaten. He'd smile and praise her, and it would give her the strength to try even harder the next time.

So, yeah, she was excited to see him as well, she realized idly.

Tapping her pencil, Maka looked at the hands of the clock over the door. Class was due to start any minute now...

7:58...

7:59...

8:00

Maka kept her eyes on the door expectantly, biting her lip in anticipation. And she watched. Frowning, she turned her attention back to the clock.

8:07

He was late.

"Is Professor Stein going to be here today?" Maka asked Soul, poking him wake.

Soul grunted in response.

Panic hit Maka. "Do you think he's sick? Or maybe he just didn't wake up on time. I hope he's OK, he never misses school-"

"Sheesh, lighten up, you're with him everyday anyway. Maybe we'll get a sub," Soul growled, lying the other side of his face on his desk.

"Humph," Maka slumped forward onto her desk dejectedly, as if all the life had been drained out of her.

The tell-tale rattle of wheels that had been quiet up until that moment suddenly became much louder, and Stein flew into the room on his chair, backwards.

"Oh! He's here!" Maka's heart skipped a beat, and she held back a grin that threatened to go from ear to ear. With a _slam! _Stein's chair hit the raised platform, sending him flying onto his back. Maka winced, grimacing in slight embarrassment. "Yup, that's my mentor, the greatest meister to ever graduate," she murmured to herself.

Soul snorted as the "greatest meister to ever graduate" grumbled, dusted himself off, and dragged his chair to it's regular spot behind his paper-strewn desk. Soul sat up, leaning back. "Or maybe we won't have a sub. How special for us," he muttered snidely.

"Settle down class," Stein called to a mostly quiet room, "roll time."

"He isn't going to say why he was late?" Maka whispered to Soul, leaning over.

"Ask him if you're so concerned," Soul whispered back haughtily.

Maka flailed in place. "N-no way! He'll think I'm accusing him, then he'll hate me and fail me and-"

"Hey don't assume so much, I don't think he'll care, ya know."

She gripped the edges of her desk. "Ugh you're right. If I don't say anything, he might think I'm inconsiderate, but if I wait until later it might be weird, but then I'll never know. What should I do!"

Soul blinked, then whispered, "I-What? I never said-"

"Soul, Maka-"

"Here!" Maka shrilled. The class snickered, turning her cheeks red. She shrunk into her desk, shame churning inside her.

"Roll is over. You and Soul didn't say anything when I called your names. Stop talking and pay attention." Maka felt her heart fall through her stomach.

She failed! Miserably! Now Professor Stein hates her, she was sure of it.

"Sorry, Professor," she half choked, half squeaked out, only earning more rude looks and snickers. She smoldered in a passive-aggressive fury for the rest of the day, much to Soul's frustration and confusion.

By the time school was over, and after Maka waved goodbye to her usual group, she'd calmed herself out of her embarrassment-induced rage. Sitting in the now silent classroom, as per usual, she waited for Stein to inform her of the plans for the day. Ever-patient, she watched as he had his usual after-school smoke, mind wandering.

Maka watched him from the corner of her eye. She'd been exposed to a lot of madness lately, in all forms, and it occurred to her that the madness inside of Stein dictated his every move. Every subtle tick or action reflected it, as well as his attempts to keep it at bay.

Like that, that right there! There he was, chain-smoking, at school, like always. Apparently they relieve stress, so it was just another thing to help keep the madness subdued. He blew smoke-skulls in the air, giggling under his breath.

"Hehe...They're hard to do, you know. Those skulls," Stein explained quietly, not seeming to care if Maka was listening or not.

"So uh, what are we doing today?" Maka asked, getting to the point.

"The usual," he answered simply, leaning back and taking a long drag.

"The usual," Maka repeated solemnly, disappointment evident in her voice. Another long, but mostly painful day was ahead of her, in that case.

,.,.,

The pines and sage of the desert outside of Death City were still, basking in the sweltering heat. No breeze would grace any who found it their business to venture outside, and by the time the laughing Sun was tired of sending his waves of heat to torture all, the Moon would rise only to freeze the landscape below him in a deathly chill. The heat was liable to send, along with the temperature, temperaments to their very limits. The combination of sweaty clothes clinging to the body, heat exhaustion that was inevitable, and dirt that would seemingly seep into every pore was enough to drive anyone insane.

This has been the routine almost every day after school for two weeks, and frankly, Maka was sick of it.

"Couldn't we find somewhere else?" She asked, exasperated and desperate. Her foot caught on a rock, and she stumbled slightly behind Stein. She ran to catch back up to Stein's quick pace, but ended up kicking up a small storm of the fine, white sand, and it got in her eyes. Behind his back, she shot him a look of malice, as if it was all his fault, but quickly dropped her features back into her normal disdain when Stein turned his head to speak.

"Not yet. Maybe if you dressed more appropriately, we wouldn't have this issue."

She scoffed. "Sorry, but no." Maka had seen what Stein suggested she wear whilst training in the desert, and modesty had gotten the better of her. A training bra and short shorts _in public? _Uh-uh. Not happening. She instead wore a simple long sleeved blouse, and her usual plaid skirt and boots. Stein also wanted Maka not to wear shoes, and that wasn't going to fly with her either. Stein was shirtless and shoeless, and for the first week it was hard enough for Maka to get over the embarrassment of seeing someone else so exposed. Sure, she'd seen Soul in all states of undress, being that she lived with him and all, but... It's just _different _with her teacher_, _damn it!

"Whatever you say. I don't get the difference between that and wearing skirts all the time. No one besides me is going to see your arms anyway, or whatever it is you're concerned about." Stein said dismissively. "At least this way you won't bruise as easily," he added, turning his attention forwards.

Maka didn't respond, settling back to glaring at Stein's back. He was carrying a long, thin stick of bamboo. He hung it from his shoulders with his arms resting over it like a golfer. Maka asked about it politely, but Stein refused to tell her what it's for on the grounds that it would "ruin the fun."

They finally made it a reasonable distance away from Death City, and on this day Stein led them into a crater just big enough for two people to fight. Maka took up a stance not too unlike her usual form when holding Soul, though looser, and listened for instruction.

Some days she would be instructed to fight without the use of her right arm. Sometimes he'd merely shove her into the sand dune, tell her to stand up, and then do it again for hours. Once, she had to navigate around a small patch of cacti blindfolded, which only ended up with her running painfully into every prickly cactus over and over again. Stein suggested, with a sneer, that she take special care of her eyes.

Maka waited patiently for today's circumstances as Stein sparked up a cigarette with one hand, letting the bamboo rest on the sand with the other. He exhaled out the corner of his mouth, then spoke abruptly, "Alrighty then. I'm attacking you,"

"...Heh?"

Maka jumped back in time to avoid getting hit full on with it, but her left arm got caught by it's edge. The pain was explosively sharp, feeling more like a dagger than wood. "Gah!" She yelled, clutching her arm. "Why does it hurt so much?" Maka shrieked.

"It's to get you more used to pain," Stein explained calmly. He flipped the stick around, spinning and catching her as she ran the opposite direction. She took the blow right in the stomach with an 'oof!' The sound of it, like a whips crack, made it a hundred times worse.

"Don't just turn your back and run! Evade!" Stein growled as he slammed Makas retreating back. She stumbled forward from the momentum, and regained her stance.

Maka was having a tough time with this. Evading with Soul's leverage was natural to her, but without anything to block or parry Stein's weapon, she was left feeling completely exposed.

And that shit hurts!

Maka rushed at Stein, sand flying everywhere in her wake, only to fall to the side to avoid the swinging stick. She rolled forward, and sprung in from the side. Maka managed to nick him in the face before the bamboo whipped her stomach again, sending her falling backwards. She rolled in the sand, feeling it cling to her already sweaty skin. Stein looked slightly dazed for just a moment, and she took the chance to stand up and catch her breath, clutching what was sure to be a nasty welt. Maka smiled though; if nothing else, she had _killer _arms from swinging Soul around constantly.

Stein recovered an instant later, charging again. "Exposing yourself just for one punch? For shame!"

The pattern was the same for several minutes, mostly consisting of Maka trying to get close only to run away again a moment later in an awkward little jig. The only thing she wanted was to get away from Stein's horrible weapon, but she knew it wasn't an option. '_He doesn't have any wasted movement,' _Maka realized wildly, '_he doesn't move unless he's going to attack.' _She stood still, panting, trying to think of a way to use this to her advantage, when Stein dashed forward and stabbed the sharp point at her head like spear. Her eyes flew open and she dropped to the ground in panic. She kicked his shin, causing him to curse and hesitate.

"Hey! That could've killed me!" Maka wailed as she scampered away.

"'Think I don't know that?" Stein chided, and snapped his weapon over Maka's retreating legs. She hopped up and squealed in pain, resorting to running to the edge of the crater, and pressing her back against it. They'd only been fighting a few minutes, but the heat was already getting to Maka; She gasped for breath, her every pore begging for cool air. She clutched the dirt behind her when Stein poised the bamboo like a spear once more, but he seemed to think different of it. He huffed and let it fall to his side. "I keep _telling _you, you can't just wing it and hope for the best. You study, right? Apply it here: Think ahead and use strategy."

"I was trying," Maka muttered, crossing her legs.

"Oh? And what did you come up with?"

Maka didn't respond.

Stein flicked away what remained of his cigarette, and fixed a disgruntled stare on Maka. "There's a good reason you're at the top of my class: You're not only book smart, but you have an excellent battle sense. I know you get it a lot, but the way you fight reminds me of your Mother, and I'm sure you've heard stories."

Maka allowed herself a little smile. She had indeed hungrily searched for every bit of information regarding her Mother, and it was almost always came in the form of a glowing compliment, save for the occasional remark about her hot temper. She slid to the floor, sensing the lesson was over. '_Ack, Professor is only saying that because he's frustrated with me,'_ Maka realized with a wince.

"But, on top of thinking things through more, you've gotta let go of your inhibitions a little bit, you can't just let petty shit get in the way," Stein grumbled, sticking the pointed wood in the dirt and leaning on it. "I know you're trying your best. I couldn't ask for more," he finished, monotone.

Maka looked at her crossed feet. "Thank you Professor, but I need to try harder than that, I know. I'm nowhere near where I want to be, but I'll keep working hard." Maka said. "Harder than that, I've been way too easy on myself," she added confidently.

Stein smirked. "Excellent response, my girl, that's what I wanted to hear,"

Maka beamed. There it was, that little flutter of happiness in her chest whenever the Professor praised her, or called her one of those pet-names. She realized how insignificant it probably was, but it motivated her to plow through the rigorous training. She clung to the feeling, knowing that even though Professor Stein could be harsh on her, even to the point of cruelty at times, he still cared about her. She giggled and stood up, a girlish smile playing on her lips.

Stein raised an eyebrow at her sudden change of attitude. "You can still stand. Wonderful." His smirk widened, causing Maka to falter. _'That's not a good sign,' _Maka thought, sobering up instantly.

Stein pulled the bamboo out of the dirt, slapping it into his palm. Maka sensed something off, and with her soul perception watched in horror as an electric pulse of Stein's soul wavelength shot through it. For one moment, she had to admire the fact that he is able to manipulate his soul through something that didn't have a soul of it's own, but it quickly turned right back to sick anticipation at Steins next words: "We can't have that, so let's fix it, shall we?"

_Crap!_

Maka barely had time to react before her legs were swept out from under her with a _crack!_, landing on her behind. The wavelength shot through her like an arrow, like salt to an already gaping wound. "Owww!" She crawled past Stein and scampered away, her previous resolve dampened in light of her stinging, throbbing legs.

_'Come on! Strategy! Strategy!' _Maka yelled internally, narrowly dodging another swing.

_I can't tire him out since he barely moves, and I'm exhausted already anyway. If I could just get that damn bamboo away from him!' _She stepped to the side and swung her fist at Stein's head in a repeat of her earlier hit, but only connected with wood.

That one hurt.

She leaped back as Stein swung it at her head, whizzing by her. She shook her hand wildly back and forth to rid herself of the pain, studying Stein incredulously. _'__I already know I can't overpower him, and he really is trying to freaking kill me! What the Hell do I do?' _

Maka lowered her stance, searching for some sort of opening. '_There _are_ no opening's though, and I can't sacrifice getting hit...' _she lamented, taking a tentative step back. She pulled a grimace at the plank, wishing it some sort of horrible, fire-related death. _'If I could just get it away from him...' _she repeated in her head. Then, an idea came to her, _'But maybe I won't have to!'_ she launched herself forward, anticipating her plan either working out and getting a solid hit on Stein... Or failing miserably and getting stabbed to death.

_'No time to go back now!'_

Stein swung at her, as planned. "Gyah!" She grabbed on to the bamboo, letting it fling her to the side, absorbing the blow into her arms. The wavelength coursed through her whole body like electricity, and though she screamed in pain, she held on. Maka followed through with it's force, twisting around and landed a solid kick into Stein's side. He grunted, shooting one leg out to steady himself, and Maka shoved the bamboo down and aimed a punch right at his face, but only nicked him again as he slammed his weapon into Maka's knees.

Her already abused legs failed her at that point, and she fell on all-fours. Maka pushed herself up onto her shaking legs, attempting a stance, but failed, slumping onto her knees. She winced as the sand dug into them.

That's it, everything was too much, there's no way she would be standing again.

Maka turned her head and slammed her eyes closed, waiting for the punishing finishing blow. She heard the shuffle of Stein moving, and flinched.

She flinched even more violently when she felt his hand pat the top of her head.

"I think that's enough for today. I'm very proud of you."

Maka's eyes shot open, and looked at her Professor. He was smiling down at her, that nice soft smile that he always does when he's trying to comfort her. She had to laugh, albeit shakily. What had she been thinking? Of course Stein wouldn't _actually_ try to kill her, it'd all been to shake some sense into her, and hey, it worked.

Maka got on one knee, barely balancing, wondering just how in the Hell she was going to make it home.

"Eek!" she squealed as Stein scooped her up and slung her over his shoulder, grabbing her legs. Maka threw her arm instinctively around his neck so she wouldn't fall backwards, and found herself, humiliatingly, being carried in a piggy-back-ride.

"I need to get home, I don't think I'll wait for you," he said matter-of-factly.

"W-Wait! What about me?" She said a little too loudly in his ear.

"Maybe I'll just take you with me and save us both a trip," Stein said thoughtfully.

"Heh?"

"I'll let you sleep on my one of my operating tables," he turned his head smiling languidly. "Whadya say?"

"Professor Stein!" she gasped, "I-I can't, I have to-...Umm...!"

"Hehe, juuust kidding, I'll drop you off at home,"

She huffed in embarrassment. Was her Professor really going to carry her all the way home? Through the city? When they're all dirty and- _'He's still not wearing a shirt! And I'm wearing a skirt!' _Maka panicked and shifted uncomfortably, suddenly very aware that her bare legs were digging into his sides, his hands holding her up under her knees; It wasn't gross or anything, he'd barely broken a sweat in their short fight, but her stomach clenched at the knowledge, and found it hard to focus on much of anything else. Her heart was suddenly going a million miles a minute.

_'Is this punishment for not listening during roll?' _Maka thought insanely.

"Could you let me down, Professor? I want to get home on my own,"

"Why? You'd end up crawling, and then some kishin will come along and kill you. Honestly Maka, let yourself be helped for a change,"

"I-it's not that..."

"Oh?"

_'Does he seriously have no clue why this is weird?' _For some reason, she felt too ashamed to admit her discomfort, and tried to relax. "It's nothing, Professor," she muttered, trying to cling to him as little as possible and still stay balanced. She reached behind her and pulled her skirt as low as it would go. "Thank you for carrying me," she added quietly, embarrassed.

"Heh. Okiedokie."

Maka watched in silence as the dark hues of Death City came closer and closer into view, reflecting on her training session. She felt horribly sore and exhausted. Not too long ago she'd felt pain like no other, and Stein wasn't even trying. But it only meant that next time they fought she'd be able to handle the blows that much better. It only meant that she was growing stronger, and fast. She allowed her chin to rest on Stein's shoulder tiredly, a slight desert breeze blowing his hair past her cheeks.

Once she got over her initial embarrassment, it wasn't so bad being carried. Anyone else, no way, but as long as it was Professor Stein... They'd been around each other so often the past few weeks, Hell, the past year, what was it to get carried home after a long day? She almost thought about voicing her thoughts, thinking them humorous, but the day was getting to her, and she could almost fall asleep from the rocking of Steins steady pace. Even in the heat, his skin was still so chilled, and the hair that brushed her was "So soft..." she whispered the thought out loud, almost inaudibly.

"What was that?" Stein queried.

"I didn't say anything," she muttered, slipping into a daze. She blinked, and a moment later the sky was getting dark and she was in front of her door.

"We're here? How did that happen?" she slurred, suddenly a _lot _more tired than she'd been a second ago.

"You slept the entire way," Stein said, easing her to the ground. "You'd sleep through an earthquake. I paraded you through the streets, people pointed and laughed, and still you did not awaken,"

"Haha, I'll see you tomorrow Professor," Maka grumbled as she stumbled into her front door, twisting the doorknob.

"Hey, look, you're standing now," Stein observed. Maka blinked slowly in response, leaning against the door frame. "Oh, but wait until you wake up tomorrow. You're going to feel like a steaming pile of shit. The pain will be excruciating," Stein said pleasantly. "Better be alert for class tomorrow," he finished, turning away and sticking his hands in his pockets as he walked off. Maka closed the door behind her, too tired to contemplate, or even remember most of what Stein said.

"...Ugh," Maka mumbled, moving one throbbing brick of a leg after the other towards her room. Soul didn't seem to be in, but that was ok since she really just wanted to go to bed. Somehow she made it to her bed, kicking off her clothes and falling into her plush comforter. She felt dirty and wanted a shower, badly, but her energy was completely spent and it was all she could do to keep her eyes open.

_'Professor carried me home,' _she thought sluggishly, '_how embarrassing. I liked touching him though- What? _She frowned at her own thought; she was so tired, it invaded her mind of it's own accord. _'I'm such a freak, why do I want to-... Nah, not because I liked touching him, it's because he's like a...Kitty. Soft like a kitty. Yeah, sure.' _Regardless of her thoughts, she fell asleep, the strange desire hanging over her, and she imagined it was her Professor's shoulder that was passing out on again.

* * *

**A/N**

A fight, some fluff, and some super-cuddly-cute-fun-time. A very _Maka_ chapter. Gotta keep in with the Soul Eater spirit of occasional fun and all. But yeah, this was hard to write being from Makas point of view entirely, sorry 'bout the wait, sorry if it's crappy. Next chapter's gonna be the opposite of this one. Much more my groove, much more M-rated, all Stein POV. I will make it not-as-crappy as possible, _just for you._

Must say, I'm a little shocked at how well this was received, just from chapter one, and the pressure is _on, _baby.

So yeah, please don't hate me, but if you do explain why in a thoughtful and helpful review, 'cause we can all be mature here, right?

Later.


	3. Stein

It was getting to be that time again.

It's been weeks, the spare time that was now available was fleeting, and there was nothing to fill it with.

That useless, empty feeling crawled on distorted limbs into the brain. It'd been so long since he made progress, and he dwelt upon it. The obsession clouded out any other whim or thought.

He was growing restless.

He wandered without aim down the streets near his home, stopping in the first shop he came across. A pleasant smelling, plush sort of place. Couches sectioned off areas of the shop, allowing for privacy, or socializing conveniently. Meant for those new-age kids.

He scanned the room for only a moment. A couple business-men talking haughtily in a corner, some lanky teenagers with colorful hair in another. His eyes settled on a disheveled, tweedy brunette girl with nice skin and big eyes, reading by her lonesome.

She'll do.

He ordered two fancy cups of coffee from the curvy barrister that winked at him. While he leaned on the counter-top, he momentarily forgot why he was there, and craned his view around the shop in hazy confusion. A moment ago, he'd been sitting at home, doing a lot of nothing. He could have sworn that it wasn't so dark outside. The barrister came back, and he forgot his ruminations entirely, as if he'd never questioned himself in the first place. He took the cups, and made his way over to the pretty little brunette.

"Would you like some coffee, miss?" He offered pleasantly, grinning.

Her large eyes shot up to his, before darting back to her book. She hadn't been expecting company; Men never talk to her. They take one look at her baggy clothes, her thin body, hear one word of her stutter, and they turned away in disgust. She swallowed loudly; despite ruffed gray hair and tired eyes betraying his age, his features were softly sculpted, his jawline defined sharply, and immediately decided that she found him handsome.

It was only then that she noticed the scars, and the circular hunk of metal attached to his head. He was scary, but he seemed so nice. Her head bobbed mutely as she took the cup from him, and shivered as his icy fingers brushed hers.

He sat himself down next to her, and wasted no time in peeking playfully over her shoulder to see what she was reading. She shrunk, but made no indication of moving away. He touched a page before turning it, quietly. Some sort of wearied Shakespearean trite that all good students read.

She spoke up first. "I-I'm sorry I didn't offer you a s-seat, i-it was very rude of me," her voice was a quiet trill. The stutter didn't suit her pretty face, but that made her interesting to him.

"Now, now, I would've sat here regardless. You seemed a bit lonely," he said cheerfully. He sat back lazily, half feigning interest on the shaking old play, half his attention on the shaking _girle_.

Her eyes became somehow wider and locked to his chest, careful not to meet his eyes. "N-not really, I was fine..." She gripped the pages tightly, suddenly distraught. "I-I'm sorry, not to say you s-should leave, b-but if you want to that's ok, you must b-be bored of me-"

He laughed sonorously. "I offered _you _coffee."

"R-right, I'm so sorry."

He remembered the Monster Study from 1939. It used negative speech therapy on orphans to induce stuttering, amongst other things. She was probably the victim of abuse at home, hence the submission. '_Good_,' he thought, '_that makes this easier.'_

"No need to apologize so much," he consoled, "I don't see how anyone could be angry at you."

Her head whipped in his direction, desperation for God knows what flitting in her eyes, before turning back what was becoming a nuisance of a book.

He gently placed his hand on the top of it, pushing the paperback, along with her hands, down to the table. She let it happen, fear crossing her features and pulsing in her miniscule, pathetic soul.

"Why don't you tell me a little about yourself, dear?"

She couldn't think of a single positive thing. "I-... I-..."

He chuckled. "Don't know where to start, eh?" She nodded, and he continued, "Let me try: I'm a scientist, as well as a teacher. I live near here. Your turn."

She lightened slightly at the mention of his professions. He certainly looked the part of both. "I'm a s-student... I'm studying business..."

He frowned. "You strike me as an English major, or maybe history."

"M-my p-p-parents say it's b-best for me,"

"I see... Do they know you're here?"

Silence.

"You seem scared of them. Your stutter isn't for nothing. It's them isn't it?"

Suddenly, she was going a million miles a minute. "I-I'm so sorry, it must be so annoying, and I must seem so s-stupid to you-"

"Woah there, slow down dear," he placed a hand on her bony shoulder, trying to get a clear look at her eyes. She looked down in utter submission.

He truly picked a fine subject this day.

"If someone asked what _you _wanted instead of what _they _wanted, do you know what you would say?"

She allowed herself to stare at his scarred nose, but didn't dare look higher.

She knew what she wanted. She was simple. She just wanted someone to be nice to her. She couldn't say it though, it was far too personal. She just stared at him, heart thundering.

"You must not get out much. If you'd like I could show you my lab? A few projects from myself and my students, maybe? You seem very intelligent, I'm sure you'd appreciate their merit."

He absently brushed aside her bangs, and she shivered. She's been told so many times not to talk to anyone, friends made from strangers are absolutely forbidden. But he was a scientist, a teacher, and really, really nice. He even went completely out of his way just to get her coffee.

Guilt struck her then; He'd already wasted time and money on her.

"I don't think I should do that, I'll only be a burden," she said without emphasis or stutter, her gaze somewhere else entirely.

"You wouldn't believe it but," he leaned closer, touching just one finger to her thin wrist, rubbing his thumb along her cheek soothingly, "nothing would please me more. I promise, you'll have the time of your life," he said lowly, as if he didn't want to be heard, and it made her hair stand on end.

She wasn't stupid. She read enough to understand what he was doing. She was lonely though. Someone was being nice to her, and she craved it so badly. She could deal with whatever it was he wanted to do with her; She just wanted him to keep being nice. She ignored the bad feeling in her stomach, and nodded. "I-I'd like that, if you're sure..."

He smiled. There it was: Acceptance. Easiest thing in the world. "More than sure, I'm thrilled." He backed away from her, snatched up her bothersome book, and lead her out of the plushy little shop by her hand.

He managed to get some more insights on her life during their short walk back. Trivial little things, like her name, but she seemed over-joyed to have someone to listen to her. He saw what she truly was, deep in her soul. It was almost a shame, the abuse had ridden her soul of any features, and she was too weak and slow-minded to develop anything of her own. A twenty-something shell of a girl walked next to him, but she may as well not have been there at all.

It didn't matter though, as they reached the steel doors of his home. She'd be _more_ than herself in just a few moments.

"U-um, Sir?"

"Hmm?" He ushered her into his own 'house of muses.' Ladies first.

"I got so caught up t-talking, I can't remember if you s-said your name or not?"

He smiled that sweet smile one last time, but when she finally looked in his eyes, her face paled, and he giggled.

His eyes were shining, burning into hers. They peered at her from the depths of something dark and unnamed. The eyes of a madman.

This was a mistake, and it was too late to do anything about it.

"I didn't," he grinned maliciously, and closed the door behind him with a soft click.

,.,.,

Girls are nicer to work on.

Men were rough and sharp on the inside, a sickly alien landscape underneath the naturally more perspiring skin. The stench was sweet nonetheless, and the tinge of spice added a nice touch. Yet it lacked a special delicacy, perhaps the enticing scent of new rubber, that only a woman could provide.

Men always begged. An unending slur of egregious threats and 'fuck you's.' Even through their spitting fury, they still begged for their lives in one way or another. They thrashed, frustratingly damaging their own insides, before he gave them a sedative. It was more for his sake than theirs. He stopped having them awake entirely, at a point.

_'Honestly,'_ he thought, incredulous, _'it's not like I ever murdered any of them, I'm not that far gone yet.'_

He restrained her drugged body on the operating table, and began.

Girls at least attempted to be stoic until they screamed their brains out for no reason, or propositioned him. What in the world made _every single one_ think he wanted to rape them? He shook his head in disgust, putting his gloves on.

Nonetheless, females are better put-together than men. Their water-weight and their heart-shaped pelvis kept the inside in such wonderful condition. The fallopian tubes were a personal favorite of his; it was like pulling a flowery ocean creature from the shallows. Such pretty and delicate little plants, with wispy tendrils that curled and bounced slowly in a jar.

The colors of a girls organs were subtle: Light pinks and baby blues, bright reds and the darkest black. The smaller, younger ones were the easiest to vivisect, and the most beautiful on the inside. His latest subject was no exception.

He inserted the scalpel, sliding like butter between thick layers of skin, and rent it open.

He was floating on a cloud of bliss. White beams of ecstasy caressed his mind. He felt so pure and clean, and for a moment, it was just him, and the writhing mass of crimson muscles and black gore in front of him.

It was a sad thing, but nothing new could be gleaned from the average insides. Still, there was always room to experiment.

When the discoveries were made, the permanent haze that encased his mind lifted. The purity from the experiment flowed out, unheeded, and seeped it's way into the floor, the walls, everything. The meaning became meaningless and petty.

"You were pretty as a picture, but you're beautiful now," he whispered to it serenely.

His heart fluttered as he made a cut on the one visible patch of smooth skin left and the mass gurgled in response. He peeled it back, slowly, until it connected to the rest of it's segmented skin splayed on the operating table. He used an ounce of his soul's power, on top of the wave that was currently acting as a second-skin to his subject, to blend the pale flesh together. He pulled it away from underneath the experiment, and flopped it out.

He had a flawless skin suit now. He snapped it out in front of him like a blanket, and cackled, "I don't know what to do with this!" and flung it to the side. It made a soft sound as it landed on the experiment, wrapping around it in a twisted imitation of what it once was.

"I wonder what it feels like to feel the _outside _of your skin on your bare muscle? Tell me where it hurts, will you? Does it hurt?" He asked with a cracking voice. He got close and listened carefully.

It let loose a guttural scream.

He gripped a clump of it's brunette hair, peeling it away easily from the scalp. It whimpered. "There there, you're doing wonderfully. It'll be over soon. I'm going to put you back together again. I do things like this to myself all the time, you know. It's a moral of mine, never do anything to anyone I wouldn't do to me. It's not fun on me anymore, but you're going to look just like me, won't that be fun? Haha." He spoke like a father calming his child before removing a band-aid, but his joker-like smile and his fast breath betrayed him. He tossed the hair in a bucket to the side, and glanced at the screen displaying various graphs to his right. Everything was beepin' and bopin'. The vitals were still functional. The drugs were doing their job, keeping it alive despite being turned inside-out. The pain would have killed it already otherwise.

He used his abilities to mold the skin back onto the muscle, an operation that would have taken weeks otherwise, and sewed it together with thick carbon-based string. The best for his subjects, after all. He hummed in patience, knowing this part of the procedure all too well.

Nothing felt like this. Absolutely _nothing._ He never wanted to let it go. He knew it was an illusion, but he didn't _want _to run away from it.

Not that he had a choice, of course.

"No light can seep from the shadows, and now blood won't seep from you, heh heh heh," he whispered like a joke to himself, looking at his finished subject. He barked with explosive laughter, and he snapped one IV out of it's arm. It gasped, fluttering it's eyes open.

There was so much _life _in the madness. So many raw emotions, so many epiphanies born from the simplicity of it all. Everyone was special, everyone became interesting. He could talk for hours without saying anything at all.

When it was over, he would forget the feeling, and the need to succumb to the madness would begin again.

And then it was over.

,.,.,

Stein frowned. He was in the operating room. It was dark, the only glow coming from screens and three fluorescent bulbs hung over a lone table. It took Stein a moment to blink his eyes into focus. The sudden sharp scent of blood made him crinkle his nose, and a slick puddle was was slowly fading into the drain on the floor. He'd just been sitting in the living room a moment ago, doing a whole lot of nothing.

What happened?

Stein's gaze followed the blood, resting on the horribly disfigured girl in front of him, perched in a fetal position.

Vague memories of a door closing, and whimpering occurred to him; certain memories after that were more clear than others, but their antecedent was easy enough to construct.

The girl was small, so small, and her body was encased in what looked like second degree burns, and the picture he'd been forming in his head was complete. For a moment, he was ecstatic that he had managed to flay a person alive; there was supposed to be a one-hundred percent mortality rate, and any skin that managed to be preserved would be black, third degree burns, and the patient would die within minutes. But Stein had put her back together, entirely, and she may even live an average life-span.

Fresh stitches zig-zagged over her entire body. Stein winced because she resembled him in a way. "What the hell was I thinking? Where did _any_ of that come from? I can't be losing it this badly yet," he cursed to himself. "Didn't that ancient witch get reborn last week? Maybe that had something to do with it..." He dismissed his thoughts, there was more important matters to attend to. He decided that he can just dump her off somewhere, like normal, but now he'd actually have to _try _be cautious about it. It'd been a while since he'd done anything so drastic. "Damn it," he sighed, stepping back to get a good look at her.

She rocked back and forth numbly, not saying a word. He grabbed his bolt, furiously twisting it as he knelt before her to check what he'd done. Her heart-rate was skyrocketing, but luckily the anesthetic he must have administered was doing it's job. Lucky, because she would have died from the pain of having even a small patch of her skin removed, but she might not have felt a thing during the whole procedure. She stared at him, confused.

Oh, how pathetic she looked.

"Was it as good for you as it was for me?" He asked her, half-smiling.

She held his gaze, still rocking. A trembling hand lifted, and her thumb brushed by a stitch. "Hurt," she croaked.

"Heh, yeah, I can't remember much of it either, but I think I know how to take care of you from here. Must have been nice, right? Girl?" he said, grinning crookedly. Stein's smile faded as her empty eyes looked up at him in curiosity,

"Sorry about that, really, that wasn't very nice. I lost myself for a bit," he muttered, looking at the floor. The scalpel hanging from his bloody hand was delicately placed like glass on a small tin tray. He turned around and busied himself with filling a syringe with pale fluid, and cleared his throat to speak clearly. "This will act as a long-term anesthetic that will circulate through your blood stream over the course of a week. You may find yourself, er, sore, to say the least, when it wears off. It's also to maintain the effects of the other drug. The one that's keeping you from dying of pain. There's a few side-effects, like lethargy, but you'd probably die otherwise, or at least go into shock..." he flicked the syringe, walking toward her. "Oh, well I guess you're already in a bit of shock... Didn't mean to offend, girly. My bad." He glanced at her face as he gave her the shot.

She stared at the syringe without interest. He noticed that her eyelids went untouched.

"Ok. Well, anyway, hope you feel better. Sorry again about, uh, skinning you alive. Nice work through the blood loss, I'm impressed." He stood up, tossing the syringe into a bucket filled with hair.

"What a shame, you're kind of a cutie, but your soul is so boring. You have absolutely no will, huh?" he pondered regretfully.

She didn't respond as he tossed a tarp over her, and only rocked back and forth as it descended over her.

,.,.,

Stein felt eyes boring into the crown of his head, but he just crossed his legs under his desk, and tapped his pencil on his lips in intrigue, along with a little irritation.

She was staring at him.

Again.

_'Ah Hell, does she do anything else anymore?'_

Stein bit down his frustration and ruminated, not for the first time, as to what could be so important that Maka would neglect her duties as a student. For two weeks Maka had been dismally inattentive. He could understand that she must be tired; The recent appearance of Arachne has been weighing heavily on everyone's minds, and they'd been working nonstop since Maka recovered from her short bout with paralysis. Stein had groaned with annoyance when the news reached him. Hadn't their training been to prevent situations _exactly _like that one? But business continues, and life goes on. Any teacher would be disappointed, and maybe personally shamed, to see a top student slipping.

_'This is just getting ridiculous. How long is she going to sit there, with those dopey eyes, _and not work on her test? _Does she not know an answer, and she's just staring off into space?'_

The pencil cracked in his grip. Come on! That just spits in the face of the value of punctuality that he was really trying to enforce that month! It's hard-work, that value stuff...

Stein didn't make an attempt to acknowledge Maka, instead letting out a breath and continued to draw swirls in a ledger. The little black book was bursting at the seems with a colorful array of scribbles and scratches. It was Stein's attempts at looking professional during those long testing hours.

Speaking of long testing hours...

Bored, he counted off two minutes, and searched his peripheral vision for Maka.

_'Still staring, I see,' _he huffed. _'What's going on in little-girl-land right now?'_

Stein never thought to try looking at her soul when she was staring before. He stretched backwards, tipping his chair precariously, and briefly made eye contact with Maka, taking a peek at her soul.

He snickered inwardly. '_Of course, I should have known. Her soul is fluttering. It's just a ripple... Hah, I bet she doesn't even know about it. She's thinking about some guy she likes. Well, that's something fun to talk about later.'_

"Five minutes," he announced to the class, eyes right on Maka to make sure she got the message.

In a flash, she shivered out of her daze and started tapping her pencil on her paper, leaning down so low her nose was almost brushing it.

Maka was awfully perceptive, she could always tell right away when Stein was examining her soul. She always panicked and crossed her arms in front of her, (as if that would do anything,) calling him all sorts of names. But she felt absolutely no shame when looking at anyone's soul. Double standards galore.

Stein loved these amusing moments of her humiliation. Poor Maka, she must feel so embarrassed knowing Stein was looking at her soul, not being able to do anything about it. She drew scribbles furiously, and Stein continued his own at a more leisurely pace.

_Ding!_

The timer sounded, signaling the end of the test. Most of the children sighed in relief, putting their pencils down and stretching. Kid, predictably, slumped back in his chair, mouth agape. Maka, less predictably, followed suit. She slammed her head onto her desk, and vigorously yanked at her pigtails. A stunned Soul asked Maka what happened, and whatever she said made Soul burst into riotous laughter. Crona gave Maka a stationary sad look, but he might have just been lost in his own world regardless. Maka, sniffling, spoke to Crona, and a look of horror crossed his features.

After the papers were collected, he pulled three sheets out of the stack. Stein grimaced. Not the usual three or four, but now _six _mostly incomplete tests stared insultingly up at him, Maka obviously, and oddly Crona, being the culprits. What was wrong with these kids today?

Stein left to his itty-bitty office as Maka said her usual long-winded goodbyes to her various teammates after class. As he was closing the door, he heard Soul had already gotten tired of the whole situation and walked off spouting to the air a dismissive, "It was just another anatomy test, you're being so uncool." She was a wreck when she shuffled nervously into the chair opposite him, as their routine had been since her training began, and was displaying every nervous twitch and tick imaginable.

"I got distracted, I couldn't finish," she said with a crackling voice to his desk.

"The first test you ever failed, Maka. I'm disappointed," Stein said slowly, fiddling with some papers.

"I-I'm so, so sorry Professor!" She was near hysterics, twiddling her fingers like mad and looking at him with the biggest watery eyes.

He propped his head on his fist, languorously deciding what to do. This could very well develop into a serious problem for Maka, and it wouldn't reflect well on him either. In any other circumstance he might have administered detention or some other scholarly trite right then, but instead resolved to work her hard later as punishment. Perhaps have her fight Kid or Black Star with one hand bound and see how that goes. The concerned teacher route might be his best option right now.

He sat up straight, and cocked his head. "So, what's on your mind?"

Maka was taken aback, and attempted a shrug, but it was more of a spasm. "Nothing much," she squeaked, suddenly all calm and serious-faced.

"Uh huh," he crossed his arms, gleeful. "Nothing at all?"

Her head bobbed in agreement.

"So you're telling me that _nothing _was more important than your grade?"

Maka's lower lip quivered. She was about ready to burst into tears.

"Dear _Lord _Maka, it's a test, it's not like you released the kishin. What in the world do you think I'm going to do to you?"

"I-it's not that, it's the principle of the matter," Maka sniffed, her twitch of annoyance whenever she realized Soul just won something.

"I think," Stein began, savoring her trembling, "that you have something on your mind that you're too embarrassed to tell me about. Got your eye on someone, maybe?" he asked merrily.

It took a moment for her distraught mind to register, and her mouth shot open in indignity. "What? No! Don't be so assumptive! It's cruel!"

"Just a joke, just a joke, don't tell anyone I said that, I could get in trouble," he hummed, fighting a massive grin.

Maka sighed. Stein waited, patiently, for any sort of response.

"I don't know what it is, it really is nothing, and that's what bothers me," she muttered, "I can't focus on anything, I'm annoyed with it too! I think I read the same question ten times, and I still didn't understand it. I just start looking at things and my mind gets all fuzzy."

"A psychologist might say you have ADD, but I've known you long enough to know your mind is perfectly clear of such things. Old-fashioned stress, I say," Stein waved a dismissive hand. "I'll write you a note, go home and take care of _yourself_ for a change... Hm, starting after you get home though. Do me a favor and say hi to Crona on the way out for me, will you? He seems more troubled than normal."

"Yeah, I noticed that too, I will. Thank you Professor."

Stein stood, and glanced at Maka. She still looked like Crona on a bad day. He offered her a compliment, "Don't be too down, you're still doing a good job, especially considering everything that's going on, alright?" along with the usual smile. At least she won't be a miserable lump at home, this way. On cue, she lighted considerably, staring up at him in admiration, and his job was done.

"Ok, wait right there... These dumb little slips, I don't understand their point, honestly... Ok, and here you go. See you tomorrow-It's _alright _Maka, seriously."

He watched her stand-up and systematically wipe dust off her clothes. Funny little compulsion, it was.

_I still like the idea of that fight, but it wasn't really her fault, maybe I should offer her a retake..._

Maka turned to leave, and he reached across his desk to clap her retreating shoulder, when she was suddenly a blonde flurry of limbs and shrieks. In a split-second, she was almost doing cartwheels just to get away from him, and the slam of the door followed a second later. Stein's limp hand hand hung in the air for what seemed like forever. '_What the hell just happened?' _he thought, shocked. She spends all day staring at him, and the moment he acknowledges her, she freaks out?

"Just _what _is wrong with these kids today?"

,.,.,

"What a day. What a _pain,_" Stein rumbled as he stepped into his sterile home.

Even though Maka had been dismissed from her daily regime, he still had to corner the other three failures of the day. Detention was long and boring, but at least all the other papers got graded.

"I'm back," he said to the pink couch.

"Welcome home, Stein!" Marie bounced towards him dutifully.

"Uh-huh."

Marie was a nice addition. Stein was willing to admit a slight titillation at thoughts of dissecting her, but they were rare. She was too darned sweet for her own good, but a punch from her would hurt, to say the least, so Stein kept his distance. She asked about his day and fussed about his well-being. If her ever-changing standards settled down, and if she stopped trying to appeal to philanderers, she'd make a great housewife for some obedient sap one day.

"Crona was just here," she spoke up cheerfully.

"Oh? Is he having problems adjusting?"

"Being unfamiliar with a lot of things at school seemed to have been stressing Crona out..." she said mournfully, but resumed her cheer immediately. "What a good kid though! Cute too," she giggled. "That kid'll be ok though. Despite the problems we talked about, Crona seems to be having fun at school."

"That's good at least."

"Crona's got all those friends after all! I'm so glad I became a DWMA teacher."

"The payoff can be satisfying, yes."

He took off his coat and sped towards the kitchen, Marie waddling close behind.

"So, how was your day? Did training with Maka go well?"

"Had to skip it," he said, picking up and putting down a box of cereal. "She's been too out of it. I had detention duty until now."

"Maka too? What do you think is wrong?"

"Nothing serious, I think she's just got a crush on someone," he grunted, avoiding Marie on the way to the refrigerator, "but it's really becoming a nuisance."

"Aww!" Marie shrilled, twirling in place. "To be young again! Who do you think it is?"

"That's really not the issue here..."

"Oh come on, if you had to send her home because of it, it _is _a big deal!"

"Let it go, she'll get over it, me and my big mouth-"

"You don't understand how a woman's heart works! Gosh darn it, I'll find out! Didn't you see her staring at anyone? Anything even?"

Stein blinked, and turned slightly away from the refrigerator. His head dropped a slow descent to his side, and a funny noise came out of his throat. He cleared the obscurer. "Staring? You say?"

"The first sign of love," she exclaimed, clasping her hands to her cheeks with a girlish sigh.

"...No, she wasn't staring at anything in particular." He turned and made a fuss about getting the dishes cleaned, deciding he'd attend to the matter himself.

A tiny, tiny smile crept it's way onto Stein's face. He fancied himself an absolute idiot for not noticing the obvious.

Maka has a crush on him.

_'How adorable. How hilariously, utterly adorable.'_

His immediate thoughts went straight to thinking of ways he could exploit it. The corners of his mouth twisted his smile ever wider, thinking of with a simple hug, a tiny kiss on the forehead, he'd have a compliant, helpless little subject. The things he could do, the findings, the discoveries! Stein would never let Maka leave, he wanted her and her alone. Then, when Maka would inevitably die from the pain, or from the lack of organs, whichever came first, he would clutch her corpse and laugh, and laugh...

Stein's trembling hand finally managed to reach his bolt. Hoo. Getting a little carried away there.

So, Maka has a crush on him. This could pose a problem. She'd be inattentive _no matter what _if this truly was the case, and he always jumps to the worst possible conclusion anyway. Besides that, affectionate wavelengths had a weird effect on him, and it was damn near contagious. Stein _was _a man after all, love is one thing that he was incapable of, but lust... Well, that's another matter entirely. He played with others emotions quite a bit, but he himself? It took quite a feat for anyone to have that effect on him.

Stein's smirk returned. But then again, opportunities for research don't come around like this very often.. Would it be so bad to let himself indulge, ever so slightly, purely out of scientific curiosity?

The only other time Stein even considered something of a relate-able manner was the time Marie had developed an almost frightening obsession for him during their school days. If he hadn't had the ability to see souls, he would've taken her cowering behind her best friend, Azusa, to be fear. Fear, he could deal with, but seeing Marie's exposed emotions was distracting, due to their nature. Luckily, her all-consuming feelings were fleeting, and for one reason or another Marie's obsessions with him were ended as quickly as they began. She wasn't all that interesting after that.

But the flutter of emotion in Maka's soul was subtle. It would grow steadily, spurred by their constant contact, and would diminish in time the more she got used to him. Without a doubt, he was the only one aware of it at all.

His little student was _very _easily influenced, thanks to his position as an instructor, along with her admiration and respect. It was... Nice, in a way, having something tangible to build up, considering how skilled he was at the art of breaking things down. At the very most, he would allow himself to indulge from afar. Purely out of scientific curiosity, of course.

"Helloooo? Stein?"

"Hmm?" He hummed, turning to face Marie. She didn't notice a thing.

"What's up?" she asked, leaning on tiptoes towards him.

Stein stood still for a moment, and lazily, an exasperated laugh bubbled up from his chest. He tapped Marie's head with his fist, and twisted it. "You're a goofball."

She laughed lightly into her cupped fingers, batting away his hand and laughing. "Whatever!"

"I'm serious though! You HAVE to tell me about any developments, you promise? Stein?"

"Sure sure, no problem. How about some tea then?"

.

* * *

A/N

Fun little chapter, I swear that nothing in this chapter was unimportant, bear (bare?) with me on this one, trust me. But look! Plot devices! We're getting fancy up in here!

I think it came out how I wanted, but be prepared for tons of corrections. There's some dialogue that needs another revision, but...Eh, what a pain. *mumble* Hate dialogue *mumble*

Hey! Did ya see what I did there? With that girl? Did-jya did-jya? I thought it was pretty funny :x Anyway, thanks for reading, I know I'm a horrible person, please rip apart this chapter at your convenience so that I may bring you a better reading experience~


	4. Meanwhile

Just a note: This is not chapter four. I wrote chapters five and six almost to completion, but chapter four is like, really really stupid right now. I'm trying, I really am T.T SO here's a preview (kind of, not really) of...Stuff. Think of this as a thanks for all the reviews and follows and favorites, and a promise for the next chapter soon. (Don't take this too seriously folks, I just love happy fun-time, don't you? :x)

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

"- So basically, Lord Death equates to the ultimate order of things, as he _is _Order amongst the Eight Powerful Warriors, so he _can't _really have an opinion on it, it's just his job... If you keep trying to kick like that, you're going to break your leg."

"Sorry, should I do it like this...? Cool, that's gonna hurt someone. And I understand all that, I'm just saying, he's gotta get- oof, that _hurt-..._ He's gotta get bored sometimes. He went out and had a kid, doesn't that mean something?"

"You don't know much about how grim reapers work, do you? There's plenty of books about them. Oh, and nice punch, needs better aim."

"Thanks. Wouldn't that be an invasion of privacy or something? I don't exactly know many grim reapers."

"That's because there's only two right now, so technically you know all of the grim reapers."

"Isn't there... Like... A female grim reaper somewhere than? Kid had to be born somehow, right?"

"You think metaphysical beings possess the same biology, or even obey the same laws of physics that we do? If this were a test of common sense, you'd get an F!"

"You're just annoyed because it has something to do with biology- Woah! That was almost my _face_ Professor!"

"Pay more attention, we've been over this. At this rate, when the lines of Sanzu connect, a lot of people are going to be very surprised..."

"Yaaaagh!"

"That was almost _my_ face, I need these glasses."

"All the more reason I should try and break them!"

"...I'm rubbin' off on you, Maka."

"Hehe, I'll come to school one day and I'll be all stitched up everywhere. Papa would just die, it'd be great."

"I think that would be a _lovely _look for you. How about we try it out now?"

"W-where'd you get that scalpel?! I'm unarmed! You don't know how to take a joke- Arrrghhh!"

"You see how fast you're dodging right now? When you're in real danger we get _results!_"

"You already said that a week ago!"

"Humans never learn to stop playing with fire until they're burnt! Pain is the greatest teacher!"

"I'll show you pain! HYAAAH!"

"_Hnngh!"_

"Didn't see that one coming huh?"

"_Shit!_ Okay! That's enough!"

"Round one goes to me!"

"L-low blow, that doesn't count."

"Seriously? Every time we do this we try to _kill each other _at least once, and this is no exception: You assaulted me, I assaulted back, so that was totally my round."

"I-I need to go sit down."

"I connect one hit and you're outta the game. Guess that means I get round two and round three! I really am getting good at this, aren't I?"

"Yes, you're a marvel of beauty, skill, knowledge, and pain. Please excuse me."

-_Sound of Stein hitting the floor_-

"Oh come on it can't hurt that bad... Er, do you need help?"

"No, please don't come over here. I think I'm just going to lay here for a little bit."

"Well, if you're sure. I'm so glad I'm a girl... Oh yeah, speaking of which, I was thinking about it, and Kid doesn't have a mother or anything like that, huh? That's sort of sad, I don't know what I'd do without my Mom, but since he never had one it doesn't really matter either way... I never thought of it like that before, I wonder if witches are different like that too..."

"Didn't think this would be how I'd go, this can kill a guy I'm fairly certain..."

"You're just trying to freak me out. I should probably just ask Crona about witches, shouldn't I? He probably knows more about them than you do, Professor... Professor?"

"It doesn't matter now, you've killed me. I'm dead, I'm dead, I died."

"Hmmm... Nope! Your soul is totally fine! Massive as ever! I swear, you're really silly sometimes."

"Your affections mean nothing if you would do away with me so easily..."

"What?"

"Send Marie my regards, won't you? I'm afraid I won't be home for dinner."

"We're in your basement, I think you'll make it..."

"I'm growing cold..."

"The air-conditioner came on..."

"I can't go on like this, oh Lord, _why does it still hurt so much?!_"

"Eh-hem, are you absolutely positive you don't want any help? We can be professional; sparring partners do stuff like this all the time right? I can't carry you because... Well... I dunno, I could grab a bag of ice?"

"Just leave me be, it is my fate to die alone, as I've lived. This humiliation still stings though..."

"I think that stinging might just be your di-"

"Maka!"

"What? I think I accidentally kicked the tip, Soul said that it can hurt like that for a while. You're an adult, shouldn't you know this kind of stuff?... Well it doesn't matter, I think you should try and get off the floor."

"I'm working on that, give me a minute."

"Hey, Professor, I was talking to Lord Death, and he said that you're roughly as powerful as Asura is, but since you always battle all the madness in you that power is cut in half... Give or take. I find that fact very, very hard to believe right now."

"Why does he feel the need to tell people such weird things... Ugh, getting over here was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. I'm so glad I decided to bring this chair with me after all."

"It really isn't a decision to bring it with you so much as an obsession, I've seen... But at least you're not on the floor anymore! That's a good sign, right?"

"I appreciate your optimism...and... I'm not obsessed..."

"Huh, I just realized, if you were to go insane right at this very moment and let all out, you still wouldn't be able to do anything. What a weakness. Sooo, so glad I'm a girl."

"It isn't pretty when I don't hold back. Kick me like that again and maybe I'll show you."

"What. A. Weakness. Maybe I will then. You're mostly immobile, you can't do anything anyway."

"Is that a _threat, _dear little Maka? A _challenge_ even, to boot!"

"Alright alright! I'm sorry I kicked you! You happy?"

"Oh hoh, now that _is _exciting. I do love a challenge, especially concerning doing things that people say I can't. Please, I implore you, show me what you got! Go all out!"

"That's a _horrible _thing for a teacher to say, Professor."

"Is it? You've got me all giddy now, it's hard to tell. There isn't even any pain, this dissection will be _legendary!_"

"...Maybe I'll just go grab that bag of ice, please stay there."

"..."

"..."

"...Round two and three, goes to me, heh heh."


End file.
